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So, coming up pretty soon when I graduate from my two year college, I'm enlisting in the marines as an infantryman, and considering how much I like shooting rifles and practice target shooting, I'll probably try out for the scout-snipers while I'm there. My plans are to get my degree at the two year, enlist, do my tour, and when I get back, go to a university using the marine scholarships and then med school for surgery. My parents are brutally opposed to the idea in general, my father continually repeats that I'm not thinking things through, and my mom just cries everywhere, both refuse to talk to the recruiter that I've been talking to.
I don't really have a purpose for posting this other than I need to talk about it and no one will listen rationally IRL.
Any current or former marines have advice for me, or anybody have any advice in general?
Trolls who are gonna go off and rant about politics and the horrors of the US military and conspiracy theories and shit like that, take it elsewhere where people care.
   
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Play as much Modern Warfare 2 as you can, it'll help you for the training to come.
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On June 30 2011 07:28 Arterial wrote: Play as much Modern Warfare 2 as you can, it'll help you for the training to come. lol, I knew I'd get some of these 
I'll make sure to take my OMA bag with me too.
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Are you well-off enough to pay for university without the military scholarship?
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Well; it sounds like you have put alot of thought into it and it seems a reasonable idea.
I'd just do what you want to do and your parents will either have to like it or lump it, it's your life not theirs.
Best of luck to you dude.
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Why not finish a four-year degree first? What's the hurry? You probably have several more years during which you can enlist.
Your parents are probably concerned that you're signing up for infantry, which pretty much guarantees that you'll be in harm's way for a good chunk of your service. It's simply a fact that your life will be at risk. Is this that important to you?
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On June 30 2011 07:24 King of Blades wrote: So, coming up pretty soon when I graduate from my two year college, I'm enlisting in the marines as an infantryman, and considering how much I like shooting rifles and practice target shooting, I'll probably try out for the scout-snipers while I'm there. My plans are to get my degree at the two year, enlist, do my tour, and when I get back, go to a university using the marine scholarships and then med school for surgery. My parents are brutally opposed to the idea in general, my father continually repeats that I'm not thinking things through, and my mom just cries everywhere, both refuse to talk to the recruiter that I've been talking to.
I don't really have a purpose for posting this other than I need to talk about it and no one will listen rationally IRL.
Any current or former marines have advice for me, or anybody have any advice in general?
Trolls who are gonna go off and rant about politics and the horrors of the US military and conspiracy theories and shit like that, take it elsewhere where people care.
If you want to go to medical school, why don't you join the navy? If you enlist as a corpsman you can do a tour as a marine medic and then go to C school for surgery, which will give you credits towards a medical degree.
Edit; And if you get good grades in corpsman A school, you won't even have to do a tour, you can just go straight into a C school then a hospital or hospital ship. Scout Sniper isn't exactly an easy rating/mos to go through anyway, and being in an STA unit is a bitch because you're out in the box a lot more than everyone else.
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I can't really pay for the four year without ungodly amounts of student loans, and the scholarship would probably make life a hell of a lot easier immediately after graduating. I do know I'm risking my life, especially as I'm going into the infantry, I'm at peace with the possibility of not coming home in one piece, or even out of a body bag. I've considered the navy, and the corpsman was kind of tempting, but I really just don't want to join them, I can't really put it into words why, but every fiber of my being yearns for the marines over any other branch.
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On June 30 2011 07:38 King of Blades wrote: I've considered the navy, and the corpsman was kind of tempting, but I really just don't want to join them, I can't really put it into words why, but every fiber of my being yearns for the marines over any other branch.
Right. Well. Can't really help you then. I'm a six year navy vet.
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Stim. And run from lurkers.
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On June 30 2011 07:38 King of Blades wrote: I can't really pay for the four year without ungodly amounts of student loans, and the scholarship would probably make life a hell of a lot easier immediately after graduating. I do know I'm risking my life, especially as I'm going into the infantry, I'm at peace with the possibility of not coming home in one piece, or even out of a body bag. I've considered the navy, and the corpsman was kind of tempting, but I really just don't want to join them, I can't really put it into words why, but every fiber of my being yearns for the marines over any other branch.
Why? because they have coolest commercials?
I don't see why you would pick the marines over the Navy when they can give you the scholarships and the chance to jump right into a medical setting from the start. Also, you want to be a marine sniper and then go to med school? Have fun resolving that with your Hippocratic Oath.
Sounds like you have a death wish if you would pick the marines over the navy in this situation.
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On June 30 2011 07:44 djbhINDI wrote: Stim. And run from lurkers. It's no problem if the lurker isn't under land.
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Go navy, they get the cutest girls when offduty.
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Blazinghand
United States25550 Posts
On June 30 2011 07:24 King of Blades wrote: So, coming up pretty soon when I graduate from my two year college, I'm enlisting in the marines as an infantryman, and considering how much I like shooting rifles and practice target shooting, I'll probably try out for the scout-snipers while I'm there. My plans are to get my degree at the two year, enlist, do my tour, and when I get back, go to a university using the marine scholarships and then med school for surgery. My parents are brutally opposed to the idea in general, my father continually repeats that I'm not thinking things through, and my mom just cries everywhere, both refuse to talk to the recruiter that I've been talking to.
I don't really have a purpose for posting this other than I need to talk about it and no one will listen rationally IRL.
Any current or former marines have advice for me, or anybody have any advice in general?
Trolls who are gonna go off and rant about politics and the horrors of the US military and conspiracy theories and shit like that, take it elsewhere where people care.
Using the military to fund a higher education is a great idea; Might I recommend, however, the ROTC? My brother and a couple of my friends did/do ROTC and it was a great experience; it let them learn valuable leadership skills and paid for their education (which is easier to do as a younger man) up front. Furthermore, entering the services as an officer gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of what you do during your time working. I know there's Navy and Air Force ROTC, so I'm sure there's also Marines ROTC.
(Also, you get paid better )
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If you want to go to the marines that badly and pick it over the Navy even though it would be better off for your pursuit of med school, why not just become a marines --> get into sniper and do that as your job? Clearly if you don't mind dieing then you must be really attached with the marines job.
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Marines eh, sounds like a great idea. Dont forget to bring your combat shield!
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On June 30 2011 07:47 Azerbaijan wrote:Show nested quote +On June 30 2011 07:38 King of Blades wrote: I can't really pay for the four year without ungodly amounts of student loans, and the scholarship would probably make life a hell of a lot easier immediately after graduating. I do know I'm risking my life, especially as I'm going into the infantry, I'm at peace with the possibility of not coming home in one piece, or even out of a body bag. I've considered the navy, and the corpsman was kind of tempting, but I really just don't want to join them, I can't really put it into words why, but every fiber of my being yearns for the marines over any other branch. Why? because they have coolest commercials? I don't see why you would pick the marines over the Navy when they can give you the scholarships and the chance to jump right into a medical setting from the start. Also, you want to be a marine sniper and then go to med school? Have fun resolving that with your Hippocratic Oath. Sounds like you have a death wish if you would pick the marines over the navy in this situation. I know a lot of marines, and a lot of my recent family have been marines, you could say it's in my blood.
Hippocratic oath doesn't apply to the past.
And maybe I do have a death wish, just not an active one
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Former Sergeant of Marines/Combat Engineer with 2 tours to Iraq under my belt. If you have any questions about the USMC feel free to PM me.
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On June 30 2011 07:49 Endymion wrote: Go navy, they get the cutest girls when offduty.
...they also had nice white sailor uniforms to go home in after ww2 iirc.
well, if you are in a shooting club or something (you mentioned taking target practice) and are amongst the top of your peers, why don't give it a shot at shooting professionally. (see what i did there?)
the icky question is, why do you want to go to med school to fix up people after being trained to kill people?
if you wanted to do it for the "greater good", you should enlist as a medic from the start(not a sniper), but thats just my 2 cents. i guess the 'rines need medics too...
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You will have to forgive me if I think that its stupid to join the marines because its 'in your blood". You have the option to achieve your goal of medical school through the navy probably with much less risk to your life.
I know lots of marines too, I often work in VA/hospice centers, most of them are missing more than one limb.
Of course its ultimately your choice but honestly, your reasoning blows my mind.
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